The police of North Macedonia have carried out a series of police actions in several parts of the country in the last two days, including raids on the houses of the former deputy prime minister, Artan Grubi, and the former director of the Lottery, Përparim Bajrami.
The municipality of Çairi, Haračina, Shuto Orizare, Buteli, are among the 30 locations where checks and raids were carried out, and several people were arrested, including members of drug clans, who are also accused of "committing serious crimes by order" .
The public prosecution said that it has issued an order for the investigation of 18 suspected persons, 14 of whom "as the orderer, assistant, and direct perpetrator of the criminal offense of murder. Of these, 12 persons are also suspected of the criminal offense of criminal association, while 5 for serious crimes against general security".
She said that the other four people are accused of "extortion".
The prosecution added that the authorities are also looking for six people, as it is suspected that they had received information about the action before the police received the warrant for the raid.
The house of Grub and the former director of the Lottery is raided
On the morning of December 16, the Police of North Macedonia, as part of the investigation into organized crime in the State Lottery, continued the raids on the houses of the former Deputy Prime Minister Grubi and the former director of the Lottery, Përparim Bajrami.
The action concerns the purchase of equipment for the State Lottery, worth over 8 million euros.
According to the Public Prosecution, Grubi and Bajrami are suspected of the criminal offense of embezzlement, while four other persons are charged with the criminal offense of misuse of official position.
From the evidence collected, according to the Prosecutor's Office, Përparim Bajrami, as the person responsible for the organization of games of chance, the State Lottery of North Macedonia, during the year 2023, together with Deputy Prime Minister Grubi, through the exercise of their special powers and duties, have participated in actions that have caused damages in the amount of about 8 million euros in the budget of the joint stock company.
The police have carried out checks in nine locations, in coordination with the public prosecutor and the preliminary procedure judge.
Grubi and Bajrami were not present at the locations that were checked by the police.
The Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Hristijan Mickoski, said on Monday on TV21 that former Deputy Prime Minister Grubi, together with a businessman, went from North Macedonia to Kosovo in a car on Sunday.
Meanwhile, during Sunday, Grubi announced that he did not run away, but that he is abroad for a private visit.
"I traveled with my documents and my personal police insurance is notified. As soon as I fulfill my obligations, I will return home to my family. Please do not slander and speculate," Grubi wrote in a Facebook post.
Artan Grubi, after being put on the American blacklist a few days ago, has also withdrawn from political and public life.
Grubi has denied being involved in corruption.
On December 11, the Skopje Prosecutor's Office also announced that it had launched an investigation against Grub and Court of Appeal judge Enver Bexheti, with the aim, it said, of proving whether they are criminally responsible, after the US State Department accused them of being "involved in high corruption and have accepted bribes to obstruct" the court proceedings related to the conviction of Sasho Mijalkov, former director of the Directorate for Security and Counterintelligence (DSK).
Meanwhile, days ago, Mickoski warned that in the following period, "there will be dozens of such cases", thus referring to the police action nicknamed "Additive", where dozens of people were arrested, among them former leaders of Elektranave ( EMV), Post Offices of North Macedonia and thermal power plants (TEC) in Bitola, Oslomej and Negotina.
They are suspected of misusing the public call for the procurement of additives, causing a damage of 6.5 million euros. (A2 Televizion)
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